Rahul Gandhi’s blistering attack on BJP

PTI Updated - January 17, 2014 at 05:22 PM.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi speaks at the AICC meeting in New Delhi on Friday.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today made a blistering attack on BJP saying it believed in lighting fires of communal hatred and turning people against one another.

In a no-holds-barred attack on the main opposition, he told the delegates at the day-long AICC session that BJP believed in disrupting Parliament year after year and day after day in the last 10 years stalling important legislations.

“Democracy is not rule by dictates. Democracy is not rule by one man. We will not respond by lighting fires of communal hatred and turning people against one another.

“We don’t respond by proposing that structures of democracy be handed over to one man,” he said in his 45-minute speech singling out BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi without taking his name.

Asked to head the party’s election campaign by the CWC yesterday, Rahul Gandhi said Congress believed in Constitution and “our MPs will elect the new Prime Minister in accordance with the Constitution“.

He also utilised the occasion to tell the prime minister that the Government should raise the number of subsidised LPG cylinders from nine to 12, an issue on which the party MPs have already been campaigning.

Turning point

Rahul said the coming elections are a turning point in the country’s journey and the Congress should transform itself by catering to the aspirations of the common man and ordinary worker.

“The option before us is not whether to change but when and how to change,” he said to a thunderous applause from the delegates.

Published on January 17, 2014 11:52